The best way to deal with the seam rust on the driver side rocker panel is
to replace the panel.  You can purchase the panel with a fake seam from Ken
at www.Vanagain.com.  This can be done from the outside without removing
the kitchen.   If not going to that extreme i would at the very least grind
out all the rust you can and treat the area with a product called One Stop
rust preventer.  then skim with plastic body filler.   It will most likely
return in a few years depending on where you live.

On Tue, Nov 20, 2012 at 6:17 AM, Frank Condelli <RAlanen@aol.com> wrote:

>         OK, so I have heard this before and being a body man, explain this
> to me:  Welding the seams will surely destroy any coating on the
> surrounding metal, both sides, so then what ?  Seems to me you need access
> to both sides of the seam to then be able to clean up the area and coat it
> with your favourite metal protection, mine is POR-15.  If I recall
> correctly not all the seams are accessible from both sides.  And���if
> you're going to go to all the trouble to get to both sides of the seam why
> not just clean up the rust and POR-15 the seam from both sides and forget
> about the welding which will in some cases distort the metal thereby giving
> you more work to straighten out.  AND, if you use any type of body filler
> to help straighten out the uneven surfaces you have created by the welding
> there is another area of possible rusting as it is pretty well impossible
> to stop rusting beneath an area of metal that has had body filler applied
> to it UNLESS you follow the steps outlined in the process POR-15 advocates
> where their filler is applied onto of the POR-15 which has been top coated
> with their bonding primer.  Quite the procedure but it works !
>
>
> On 2012-11-19, at 11:49 PM, Automatic digest processor <
> LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> wrote:
>
> > Other than the obvious thought o=
> > f the additional difficulty of removing any panel in the future if
> needed an=
> > d some additional body work to smooth them out before repainting, are
> there a=
> > ny other items that would suggest welding the seams is a really bad idea?
>
>
>
> Cheers,
>
> Frank Condelli
> Almonte, Ontario, Canada
> '87 VW Westy, '00 Kawasaki 250 Sherpa, "98 Ducati 750 Monster & Lionel
> Trains (Collection for sale)
> Frank Condelli & Associates - Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in the
> Ottawa Valley
> Vanagon Stainless Steel Exhaust Systems
> BusFusion a VW Camper camping event, Almonte, ON, June 06 ~ 09, 2013
>

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